Spatial and temporal zooplankton feeding dynamics across the water column of lakes are key for understanding site-specific acquisition of diet sources. During this 6-week lake study, we examined stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes and conducted compound-specific fatty acid (FA) stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of edible seston in the epi-, meta-, and hypolimnion, and zooplankton of Lake Lunz, Austria. We predicted that CSIA of essential FA can discern the foraging grounds of zooplankton more accurately than the commonly used bulk stable isotopes. The δ13C and δ15N values of seston from different lake strata were similar, whereas a dual CSIA approach using stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of FA (δ13CFA and δ2HFA) provided sufficient isotopic difference in essential FA to discern different lake strata-specific diet sources throughout the study period. We present a CSIA model that suggests strata-specific foraging grounds for different zooplankton groups, indicating higher preference of cladocerans for feeding on epilimnetic diet sources, while calanoid copepods retained more hypolimnetic resources. The CSIA approach thus yields strata-specific information on foraging strategies of different zooplankton taxa and provides more details on the spatial and temporal trophodynamics of planktonic food webs than commonly used bulk stable isotopes.

Biology Center CAS Na Sádkách 7 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Department Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Brückstraße 3a 39114 Magdeburg Germany

Department River Ecology Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Brückstraße 3a 39114 Magdeburg Germany

Research Lab for Aquatic Ecosystem Research and Health Donau Universität Krems Dr Karl Dorrek Straße 30 3500 Krems Austria

University of Southern Bohemia Na Sádkách 7 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic

WasserCluster Lunz Biologische Station GmbH Inter University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research Dr Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5 3293 Lunz See Austria

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